1
as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
middle-aged people who fervently hope that daily exercise will arrest the physical decay that usually accompanies advancing age
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decomposition
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances
the cycle by which the decay of dead plants on the forest floor provides soil and nutrients for the next generation of plants
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to rot
to go through decomposition
the logs decayed on the rain forest floor the atom of plutonium decayed in the test chamber
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
the restaurant's standards for food and service had decayed over the years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to fade
to lose bodily strength or vigor
having reached her 80s, the woman could sense that her body was decaying
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of decay
Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
Neither liquid showed observable decay or fermentation.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026
Nobody needs Beijing to fabricate footage of American potholes, ER bills, or decaying Amtrak cars.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decay
Noun
When organic material like fruits and vegetables break down, the decay releases methane.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
Neither liquid showed observable decay or fermentation.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
Normally, rubidium-83 atoms decay over weeks, but in this quantum state, the process could occur within minutes, dramatically increasing the rate of neutrino production.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026
Nobody needs Beijing to fabricate footage of American potholes, ER bills, or decaying Amtrak cars.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decay
Noun
-
Over the last decade, the parish began to lose these buildings to age, mold and deterioration.—
Desiree Mathurin
April 28,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The Swiss Eugen Bleuler, a follower of Kraepelin, replaced the term dementia praecox, which implied hopeless deterioration, with the softer term schizophrenia.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Cutting up large or coarse ingredients like banana peels will speed up their decomposition.—
Jessica Damiano,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Turn the pile regularly to aerate the pile and speed up decomposition.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Do not pile mulch against the tree’s trunk; that can cause the bark to rot.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Some family members of those whose bodies were left to rot had urged Judge Eric Bentley to impose the maximum sentence.—
Colleen Slevin,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But the consequences of a destabilized Mali, compounded by the wider fallout from the Iran war, are unlikely to stop at its borders and threatens to deepen a deteriorating security crisis across one of the world’s most volatile regions.—
Ulf Laessing,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The mammal’s health deteriorated as it became repeatedly stranded in shallow waters, and unsuccessful efforts to coax it toward deeper seas were livestreamed across the globe.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Garments spanning nylon half-zips to French Terry sweatshirts, garments look faded and worn-in and feature hallmarks of denim like whiskers, creases, abrasions and breakages that tell stories of time and use.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
It's become the default mode of governing for majorities in Congress as bipartisanship on major issues fades away.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
It is anticipated that supervisors will attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of voters, by pretending this measure is a new implementation of term limits instead of a weakening of term limits.—
John Franklin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The weakening is mainly attributed to climate change, according to Elipot, speaking in a podcast interview with USA TODAY.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The body was decomposed and dismembered.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Her arms and legs had been cut off, and her body was significantly decomposed, according to the report.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That order is crumbling, and many of our former strengths built on our close ties to the United States have become our weaknesses.—
Keely Bastow,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The top of his head drilled Bona’s chest, and the Celtics guard crumbled to the court, holding his neck.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decay. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
